In a breakthrough for physics and engineering, researchers from the Photonics Initiative at the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY (CUNY ASRC) and from Georgia Tech have presented the first demonstration of topological order based on time modulations. This advancement allows the researchers to propagate sound waves along the boundaries of topological metamaterials withou
Masks are just one tool against the pandemic — another crucial one is data. (Macau Photo Agency/Unsplash/) Follow all of PopSci's COVID-19 coverage here , including tips on cleaning groceries , ways to tell if your symptoms are just allergies , and a tutorial on making your own mask . Under the guise of streamlining data, the Trump administration has moved previously available COVID data on hospi
Farveblinde testpersoner i et mindre forsøg fik forbedret deres evne til at skelne mellem røde eller grønne nuancer ved hjælp af nogle særlige briller – også efter de stoppede med at bruge brillerne.
A detailed study of a SARS-Cov-2 protein, Nsp1, with a central role in weakening the host anti-viral immune response shows that it effectively shuts down production ofproteins in the host.
While early research on the adaptive immune response to COVID-19 primarily looked at antibodies, more information is now emerging on how T cells react to the SARS-CoV-2 virus – addressing a crucial knowledge gap, say Daniel Altmann and Rosemary Boyton in a new Perspective.
Researchers from Munich and Ulm have determined how the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 inhibits the synthesis of proteins in infected cells and shown that it effectively disarms the body's innate immune system
Research by the University of Southampton shows European countries need to work together when lifting lockdown measures, to prevent COVID-19 cases rising again on the continent.
Through the investigation of insect surfaces, Penn State researchers have detailed a previously unidentified nanostructure that can be used to engineer stronger, more resilient water repellent coatings.
In a breakthrough experiment, physicist and engineers at the CUNY ASRC have shown that it is possible to limit the movement of sound to a single direction without interruption even when there are deformations along the pathway. The findings pave the way for technologies with more robust sound wave integrity and advances in ultrasound imaging, sonar, and electronic systems that use surface acoustic
Reports of the infection–including one death this month–recently shook up social media. But, unlike COVID-19, plague is a disease that countries have more or less got under control.
Boris Johnson suggested that England could see something like normality by Christmas. Don't count on it Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage In Aesop's fable, the ant uses summer to prepare for the bleak months to come, while the grasshopper idles its time away, only to regret it as temperatures plummet. England must hope Boris Johnson remembers the tale, since as of Wedn
For centuries, doctors and scientists viewed inflammation as a necessary and unavoidable systemic response to illness or injury. However, over the last few decades, we have seen a major shift in thinking on the subject. Today we understand that inflammation is as much a cause of major medical issues as it is a symptom. In fact, a lot of doctors now argue that being able to control and reduce infl
Through the investigation of insect surfaces, Penn State researchers have detailed a previously unidentified nanostructure that can be used to engineer stronger, more resilient water repellent coatings.
The lone star tick, common in the southeastern areas of the country, is a frequent carrier of the alpha-gal molecule. It can cause a meat allergy in humans. (NIAID /) If you've ever woken up at midnight with itchy hives, swelling, stomach pain, or trouble breathing with no idea about the cause, there's a chance last night's steak could be the culprit. Allergies to meat are rare, but one way they
The theory that the hippocampus is critical for visual memory and relational cognition has been challenged by discovery of more spared hippocampal tissue than previously reported in H.M., previously unreported extra-hippocampal damage in developmental amnesiacs, and findings that the hippocampus is unnecessary for object-in-context memory in monkeys. These challenges highlight the need for causal
Mouse embryonic stem cells cultured with MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase) and GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3) inhibitors (2i) more closely resemble the inner cell mass of preimplantation blastocysts than those cultured with SL [serum/leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)]. The transcriptional mechanisms governing this pluripotent ground state are unresolved. Release of promoter-proximal
Histone H3 point mutations have been identified in incurable pediatric brain cancers, but the mechanisms through which these mutations drive tumorigenesis are incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence that RACK7 (ZMYND8) recognizes the histone H3.3 patient mutation (H3.3G34R) in vitro and in vivo. We show that RACK7 binding to H3.3G34R suppresses transcription of CIITA , which is the mas
Many studies link long-term fine particle (PM 2.5 ) exposure to mortality, even at levels below current U.S. air quality standards (12 micrograms per cubic meter). These findings have been disputed with claims that the use of traditional statistical approaches does not guarantee causality. Leveraging 16 years of data—68.5 million Medicare enrollees—we provide strong evidence of the causal link be
What is the relationship between infant mortality and poverty in the United States and how has it changed over time? We address this question by analyzing county-level data between 1960 and 2016. Our estimates suggest that level differences in mortality rates between the poorest and least poor counties decreased meaningfully between 1960 and 2000. Nearly three-quarters of the decrease occurred be
Control over the duration of a quantum walk is critical to unlocking its full potential for quantum search and the simulation of many-body physics. Here we report quantum walks of biphoton frequency combs where the duration of the walk, or circuit depth, is tunable over a continuous range without any change to the physical footprint of the system—a feature absent from previous photonic implementa
Calcium homeostasis modulator (CALHM) family proteins are Ca 2+ -regulated adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–release channels involved in neural functions including neurotransmission in gustation. Here, we present the cryo–electron microscopy (EM) structures of killifish CALHM1, human CALHM2, and Caenorhabditis elegans CLHM-1 at resolutions of 2.66, 3.4, and 3.6 Å, respectively. The CALHM1 octamer str
Calcium homeostasis modulator 1 (CALHM1) is a voltage-gated ATP release channel that plays an important role in neural gustatory signaling and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Here, we present a cryo–electron microscopy structure of full-length Ca 2+ -free CALHM1 from Danio rerio at an overall resolution of 3.1 Å. Our structure reveals an octameric architecture with a wide pore diameter o
Originating with the discovery of the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in condensed matter physics, topological order has been receiving increased attention also for classical wave phenomena. Topological protection enables efficient and robust signal transport; mechanical topological insulators (TIs), in particular, are easy to fabricate and exhibit interfacial wave transport with minimal dissipation, e
The glass transition remains unclarified in condensed matter physics. Investigating the mechanical properties of glass is challenging because any global deformation that might result in shear rejuvenation would require a prohibitively long relaxation time. Moreover, glass is well known to be heterogeneous, and a global perturbation would prevent exploration of local mechanical/transport propertie
Earth's climate fluctuates considerably on decadal-multidecadal time scales, often causing large damages to our society and environment. These fluctuations usually result from internal dynamics, and many studies have linked them to internal climate modes in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Here, we show that variations in volcanic and anthropogenic aerosols have caused in-phase, multidecada
Many natural surfaces are capable of rapidly shedding water droplets—a phenomenon that has been attributed to the presence of low solid fraction textures ( s ~ 0.01). However, recent observations revealed the presence of unusually high solid fraction nanoscale textures ( s ~ 0.25 to 0.64) on water-repellent insect surfaces, which cannot be explained by existing wetting theories. Here, we show tha
Here, an integrated cascade nanozyme with a formulation of Pt@PCN222-Mn is developed to eliminate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). This nanozyme mimics superoxide dismutase by incorporation of a Mn–[5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrinato]–based metal-organic framework compound capable of transforming oxygen radicals to hydrogen peroxide. The second mimicked functionality is that
Carnosine and related β-alanine–containing peptides are believed to be important antioxidants, pH buffers, and neuromodulators. However, their biosynthetic routes and therapeutic potential are still being debated. This study describes the first animal model lacking the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase–like 1 (GADL1). We show that Gadl1 –/– mice are deficient in β-alanine, carnosine, and anserin
Metasurfaces with unparalleled controllability of light have shown great potential to revolutionize conventional optics. However, they mainly require external light excitation, which makes it difficult to fully integrate them on-chip. On the other hand, integrated photonics enables packing optical components densely on a chip, but it has limited free-space light controllability. Here, by dressing
Allosteric communication within proteins is a hallmark of biochemical signaling, but the dynamic transmission pathways remain poorly characterized. We combined NMR spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance to reveal these pathways and quantify their energetics in the glucocorticoid receptor, a transcriptional regulator controlling development, metabolism, and immune response. Our results delinea
Some hummingbirds produce unique high-frequency vocalizations. It remains unknown whether these hummingbirds can hear these sounds, which are produced at frequencies beyond the range at which most birds can hear. Here, we show behavioral and neural evidence of high-frequency hearing in a hummingbird, the Ecuadorian Hillstar ( Oreotrochilus chimborazo ). In the field, hummingbirds responded to pla
Mobile genetic elements, such as human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), produce proteins that regulate brain cell functions and synaptic transmission and have been implicated in the etiology of neurological and neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders. However, the mechanisms by which these proteins of retroviral origin alter brain cell communication remain poorly understood. Here, we combined si
Proton translocation enables important processes in nature and man-made technologies. However, controlling proton conduction and fabrication of devices exploiting biomaterials remains a challenge. Even more difficult is the design of protein-based bulk materials without any functional starting scaffold for further optimization. Here, we show the rational design of proton-conducting, protein mater
America is facing a "middle-skills gap" thanks to the rapid digitalization of work. Google announces new online certificate courses and 100,000 need-based scholarships to train people for in-demand skills. The need for middle-skills will grow as the COVID-19 pandemic hastens technological adoption. American has a "middle skills" gap. Good jobs requiring a high school diploma have contracted since
The intersection between water, air, and insects' intricately decorated surfaces turn out to be the key to explain why droplets bounce so quickly off of them.
Nature, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02143-5 When the Trump administration threatened to deport international students taking only-online courses, there was only one response. No.
Nature, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02160-4 Plan to force students to take in-person classes or face deportation is dropped during a federal hearing.
Foiled Again! It turns out that the masks that keep us safe from COVID-19 are a real pain for the police. Leaked documents reveal that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been particularly concerned about how masks block the facial recognition used to surveil Americans, The Intercept reports . Apparently, federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been circulating these conc
It's a Date On May 30, SpaceX made history by launching the first astronauts to the International Space Station from U.S. ground since the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle program in 2011. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley may have piloted the the futuristic Crew Dragon space capsule with ease — but the mission, dubbed Demo-2, is far from over. Both astronauts will still have to make
The UK National Cyber Security Centre, (NCSC) in conjunction with their US and Canadian intelligence counterparts, warned on Thursday that Russian hackers with ties to the Kremlin have been targeting coronavirus vaccine development since the early days of the pandemic. The warnings were accompanied by a detailed 16-page document , outlining how Russian hackers might be attempting to steal informa
Cannabis appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for the chronic pain that afflicts people with sickle cell disease, according to a new clinical trial co-led by University of California, Irvine researcher Kalpna Gupta and Dr. Donald Abrams of UC San Francisco. The findings appear in JAMA Network Open.
Nature, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02140-8 Researchers are scrambling to find other ways to diagnose the coronavirus and churn out millions of tests a week — a key step in returning to normality.
Once the mice in the study had become dependent on the morphine, "switching off" (or silencing) that PVT pathway completely abolished their preference for the morphine. Stanford associate professor Xiaoke Chen's team was able to precisely control the activity of various pathways at different points of the animals' drug-use experience. Extinction training attempts to reduce the strength of those c
A new device that relies on flowing clouds of ultracold atoms promises potential tests of the intersection between the weirdness of the quantum world and the familiarity of the macroscopic world we experience every day.
Suppose you have a ritual of eating cereal every morning for breakfast. Normally, you walk into the kitchen and perform a sequence of fine motor commands, like shaking out the proper amount of cereal, grabbing a single spoon from the drawer, pouring in milk, and carefully raising the spoon to your mouth, being mindful not to spill. But on this morning, you find no cereal in the usual spot in the
Racial/ethnic minority patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 infection are more likely to have more severe disease on chest X-rays than white/non-Hispanic patients, increasing the likelihood of adverse outcomes, such as intubation or death, according to a new study.
COVID-19 is associated with life-threatening blood clots in the arteries of the legs, according to a new study. Researchers said COVID-19 patients with symptoms of inadequate blood supply to the lower extremities tend to have larger clots and a significantly higher rate of amputation and death than uninfected people with the same condition.
In a continued effort to bring the readers of The Scientist the most engaging social media experience, we have examined our full lineup of Facebook niche pages and found that we could streamline some of our channels to provide clearer and more succinct coverage.
Nature, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02163-1 Journal editors share what makes a great figure. Plus, hackers have been targeting COVID-19 vaccine researchers and how Plan S will open the door to any journal.
Shell-bearing microgastropods are snails whose size is less than five millimeters. They represent one of the least studied groups of metazoan living organisms in the oceans. Ivan Nekhaev is a senior research associate at the Department of Applied Ecology at St Petersburg University, and Ekaterina Krol is a doctoral student. They have summarized and analyzed the currently known information on the s
A Siamese crocodile that was released into the wild in 2018 has been recorded nesting in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains. The female crocodile was identified by her tail scute markings as one that had previously been cared for at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center and this finding provides evidence that released Siamese crocodiles are not only surviving in the wild, but are also able to nest.
A citizen science collaboration, of which the University of Aberdeen is part of, launched a new tool this week to help members of the public learn more about bumblebees.
Shell-bearing microgastropods are snails whose size is less than five millimeters. They represent one of the least studied groups of metazoan living organisms in the oceans. Ivan Nekhaev is a senior research associate at the Department of Applied Ecology at St Petersburg University, and Ekaterina Krol is a doctoral student. They have summarized and analyzed the currently known information on the s
As beautiful as the surrounding space may be, the sparkling galaxy in the foreground of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope undeniably steals the show.
A Siamese crocodile that was released into the wild in 2018 has been recorded nesting in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains. The female crocodile was identified by her tail scute markings as one that had previously been cared for at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center and this finding provides evidence that released Siamese crocodiles are not only surviving in the wild, but are also able to nest.
In low precipitation periods, where and how is the limited available water distributed, and what possibilities are there for improving retention in the soil and the landscape? Dörthe Tetzlaff and her team from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have discovered that vegetation has a major influence on this. The researchers are investigating the storage, distribut
A citizen science collaboration, of which the University of Aberdeen is part of, launched a new tool this week to help members of the public learn more about bumblebees.
Every time a gun fires, lead leaches into the air. A scientific advancement could provide a comparable replacement for lead-based explosive materials found in ammunition, protecting soldiers and the environment from potential toxic effects.
By applying a machine-learning algorithm, scientists at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have developed a method to classify all gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), rapid highly energetic explosions in distant galaxies, without needing to find an afterglow—by which GRBs are presently categorized. This breakthrough, initiated by first-year B.Sc. students, may prove key in finally discoverin
Researchers of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Italian National Research Council and of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice analyzed fragrances deriving from personal care products and consumer goods in an ice core from Mt. Elbrus, Caucasus. The concentration profile of such fragrances from the 1930s to 2005 follows the trend of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that originate from c
NUS researchers have demonstrated that the charge density wave (CDW) phase in H-phase tantalum disulfide (TaS2) bilayers can be stabilized at room temperature by interfacial interactions with a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) substrate.
A team of researchers from MIT and Northwestern University has demonstrated the ability to fine-tune the electronic properties of hybrid perovskite materials, which have drawn enormous interest as potential next-generation optoelectronic materials for devices such as solar cells and light sources.
Researchers have been using passive acoustic recordings of whale calls to track their movements. They have found that four of the six baleen whale species found in the western North Atlantic Ocean—humpback, sei, fin and blue whales—have changed their distribution patterns in the past decade. The recordings were made over 10 years by devices moored to the seafloor at nearly 300 locations from the C
There are air filters that can catch particles laden with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But whether or not the filtration happens depends on other factors.
Widespread use of pesticides can speed the transmission of the debilitating disease schistosomiasis, while also upsetting the ecological balances in aquatic environments that prevent infections, finds a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. The infection, which can trigger lifelong liver and kidney damage, affects hundreds of millions of people every year and is s
The research focuses on axonal transport — the way in which vital materials travel along pathways called axons inside nerve cells, or neurons. Scientists found that HTT sometimes journeys along these roadways in cellular vehicles (called vesicles) that also carry freight including a protein called Rab4. The research also identified other materials that may be present in these shipments.
Information drawn from analyses of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of materials from exposed Columbia River basalts has provided insights about how magma from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago shaped the region and why those eruptions did not trigger a global extinction event.
Loss of synapses is a contributing factor to Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Researchers from the Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio discovered a class of proteins that inhibit synapse elimination, opening possibilities for novel therapies for the two diseases.
Researchers have been using passive acoustic recordings of whale calls to track their movements. They have found that four of the six baleen whale species found in the western North Atlantic Ocean—humpback, sei, fin and blue whales—have changed their distribution patterns in the past decade. The recordings were made over 10 years by devices moored to the seafloor at nearly 300 locations from the C
First spotted in the United States in 2014, bacterial leaf streak of corn is an emerging disease of corn that has now spread to ten states, including the top three corn-producing states of Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
First spotted in the United States in 2014, bacterial leaf streak of corn is an emerging disease of corn that has now spread to ten states, including the top three corn-producing states of Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
Experts address whether the routine use of telehealth for patients with cancer could have long-lasting and unforeseen effects on the provision and quality of care.
As Confederate monuments and memorials come down across the United States, it's important to think historically not only about the past but also about our own time and what future generations might say about us, historian James T. Campbell argues. With people across the United States confronting the nation's legacy of slavery and systemic racism , monuments and memorials honoring the Confederacy
Eliot Engel first won his seat in Congress in 1988, in a primary that helped end the old corrupt Bronx machine. Today, according to the official call by the Associated Press, he lost his June primary to newcomer Jamaal Bowman, in a race that became a national symbol of the rise of a new wave of progressives. A lot is happening in Engel and Bowman's sliver of the Bronx and Westchester—and a lot is
Drug overdose deaths hit a record high in 2019, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The pandemic seems to be worsening the opioid crisis, possibly due to users' reluctance to visit hospitals, mental health problems, and disruptions to drug supply. Still, it's too early to know exactly how the pandemic is transforming drug use in the U.S. Opioid deaths in
A new study by Kansas State University researchers is the first to confirm that SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, cannot be transmitted to people by mosquitoes.
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from mobile phones to laptop computers and electric vehicles, but demand is growing for less expensive and more readily available alternatives. The top candidates all hold promise, but researchers report that steep challenges remain.
Photo editing is as old as photography itself. In fact, you have an example in your wallet. The portrait of Lincoln on the $5 bill is a fake : Lincoln's head was taken from an original photo and placed on top of the body of the far less famous John C. Calhoun in an engraving. And, as social media and photo editing software have democratized the art of photography, knowing what to edit and why has
Weather forecasts have become less accurate during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the reduction in commercial flights, according to new research. A new study finds the world lost 50 to 75 percent of its aircraft weather observations between March and May of this year, when many flights were grounded due to the pandemic.
Which patients are more likely to develop a severe form of COVID-19? In a new study, researchers describe a unique and unexpected immunological phenotype in severe and critical patients.
The concept: When we look at a chair, regardless of its shape and color, we know that we can sit on it. When a fish is in water, regardless of its location, it knows that it can swim. This is known as the theory of affordance, a term coined by psychologist James J. Gibson. It states that when intelligent beings look at the world they perceive not simply objects and their relationships but also th
Earlier this week as a pandemic raged across the United States, residents were cut off from the only publicly available source of aggregated data on the nation's intensive care and hospital bed capacity. When the Trump administration stripped the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of control over coronavirus data , it also took that information away from the public. I run a nonparti
Bonus tip: It's probably not the controller's fault. Learn to accept responsibility for your own actions. Too real? That's OK, you'll feel better after you yell at the screen. (Cristiano Pinto/Unsplash/) A new kind of gaming experience is emerging, one where games stream directly to any device you like, Netflix-style. When the cloud does all the heavy lifting, you can play on your phone just as e
Senate and House Democrats have issued letters calling for the Trump Administration to undo a controversial move reshuffling vital Covid-19 data collection (Image credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
Private radiology practices have been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the steps they take to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their practice will shape the future of radiology, according to a special report from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) COVID-19 Task Force.
New research by Welsh academics shows that a patient's pupils can reveal if they have suffered a traumatic experience in the past. The study examined how an individual's eyes responded when shown threatening images.
Few things have captured Donald Trump's fickle attention for long during the pandemic, but for the past 10 days, the president has been highly focused on one issue. He has insisted on the need for America's schools to reopen in August with students in classrooms five days a week, hoping that this might revive the economy, and with it his reelection chances in November. It ought to be an easy sell
Martin Clavane on what reports about Russian hacking reveal about how the world responds to threats such as Covid-19 Reports about Russian hacking into Covid-19 research are very revealing ( Russian state-sponsored hackers target Covid-19 vaccine researchers , 16 July). They raise fundamental questions about how the world should collectively respond to such existential threats to humankind. Why i
A team of marine biologists have discovered 16 new species of terrifying deep-sea fish that reflect almost no light at all, Wired reports — much like the ultra-black material Vantablack . Marine biologist Karen Osborn was astonished when she attempted to take pictures of a fangtooth, a terrifying fanged monster of the deep sea, for cataloguing reasons. The fish appeared to absorb almost all of th
Researchers have interrupted a neural pathway responsible for opiate-associated memories in mice. Their success in preventing relapse in rodents may one day translate to an enduring treatment of opioid addiction in people. Research surrounding addiction often assumes reward is the primary motivation for drug use and relapse. But while chasing a "high" can prompt drug use, it's often the acute sym
First spotted in the United States in 2014, bacterial leaf streak of corn is an emerging disease of corn that has now spread to ten states, including the top three corn-producing states of Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
Mundane behaviors such as taking a daily medication can eventually create false memories of completing the task, said Dolores Albarracin, a professor of psychology and marketing at Illinois and the director of the Social Action Lab.
Experiences of discrimination over a lifetime is associated with high blood pressure in African American adults, according to findings published this month in the journal Hypertension from researchers at the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health.
Researchers using passive acoustic recordings of whale calls to track their movements have found that four of the six baleen whale species found in the western North Atlantic Ocean — humpback, sei, fin and blue whales — have changed their distribution patterns in the past decade. The recordings were made over 10 years by devices moored to the seafloor at nearly 300 locations from the Caribbean S
St Petersburg University Scientists have summarised all the known information about Arctic snails that have dimensions less than five millimetres. The information gathered will help to learn more about marine ecosystem pollution and climate change.
By applying a machine-learning algorithm, scientists at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have developed a method to classify all gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), rapid highly energetic explosions in distant galaxies, without needing to find an afterglow – by which GRBs are presently categorized. This breakthrough, initiated by first-year B.Sc. students, may prove key in finally discover
Magnetically separating waste particles makes it possible to reclaim a variety of raw materials from waste. Using a magnetic fluid, a waste flow can be separated into multiple segments in a single step. Researchers from Utrecht and Nijmegen have now succeeded in creating a magnetic fluid that remains stable in extremely strong magnetic fields, which makes it possible to separate materials with a h
As school districts nationwide grapple with how and when to safely reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey of 1,275 social workers across the United States shows the immensity of the challenge ahead.
Dr. Te Huia, with Māori language researchers Dr. Mauren Muller and Tai Ahu, conducted interviews with 57 Māori language speakers and learners across 12 regions nationally, as well as conducting an indepth survey during the national kapa haka festival Te Matatini, held in Wellington in February 2019, with the support of the 'Te Mitatini' reo Māori campaign.
Do education regulations sometimes harm those they were intended to help? A recent study by University of Arkansas Education Reform professor Robert Maranto and former doctoral student Ian Kingsbury, now at Johns Hopkins University, says yes.
Honeybee colonies are bioindicators of environmental contamination in the area, since they get coated in everything that there is in the environment, including pollutants, and they end up taking it all back to their bee hives.
Researchers report a new method that detects positive COVID-19 cases using blood samples in about 20 minutes, and identifies whether someone has contracted the virus.
Taking into account patients' preferences can help speed up the organ allocation process and improve the life quality of the recipients, as shown by a joint study conducted by Ca' Foscari University and the University of Padua
Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and their colleagues from Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed a breakthrough technology to resolve a key problem that has prevented the introduction of novel drugs into clinical practice for decades. The new solution prolongs
While their ranks in academic surgery may be not be robust, women surgeons are holding their own when it comes to surgical research, securing a greater percentage of NIH grants than their numbers suggest.
A uniquely comprehensive survey of gene expression by cell type in humans and mice revealed several deficits affecting the most vulnerable neurons in Huntigton's disease.
Breaking Up In somewhere between five and ten million years, the tectonic plates that form Africa are likely to rip apart so much that it'll eventually split the continent in two. Within Ethiopia's Afar region, the Arabian, Nubian, and Somali tectonic plates are slowly pulling away from each other, NBC News reports , gradually creating a vast rift — slowly forming a new ocean. "We can see that oc
Coordinated international action on energy-efficient, climate-friendly cooling could avoid as much as 460 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions—roughly equal to eight years of global emissions at 2018 levels—over the next four decades, according to the Cooling Emissions and Policy Synthesis Report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Diffraction is a classic optical phenomenon accounting for light propagation. The efficient calculation of diffraction is of significant value towards the real-time prediction of light fields. The diffraction of electromagnetic (EM) waves can be cataloged into scalar diffraction and vector diffraction according to the validation of different approximation conditions. Although mathematical expressi
With over 1.2 million people affected in Germany alone and over 50 million people worldwide, Alzheimer's disease, also referred to simply as Alzheimer's, is one of the greatest medical and social challenges of our time. Due to pathological changes in the brain, patients become increasingly forgetful and disoriented as the disease progresses. In the worst cases, even close relatives are no longer r
Editor's note: This week's newsletter spotlights some of our favorite Books Briefing reading lists from the past few months. We'll be back with a fresh newsletter next week. Know other book lovers who might like this guide? Forward them this email. What We're Reading (HERITAGE IMAGES / GETTY) Your socially distanced summer-reading list (May 15, 2020) "Books to bring on an airplane . Books to enjo
With over 1.2 million people affected in Germany alone and over 50 million people worldwide, Alzheimer's disease, also referred to simply as Alzheimer's, is one of the greatest medical and social challenges of our time. Due to pathological changes in the brain, patients become increasingly forgetful and disoriented as the disease progresses. In the worst cases, even close relatives are no longer r
President Trump pioneered the use of an obscure 1996 law to quickly reverse the regulations of his predecessor. Now Democrats hope to take a page from his game plan.
Scientists can manipulate curium, one of the heaviest known elements, to a greater degree than previously thought. A team of researchers has demonstrated how curium—element 96 in the periodic table and one of the last that's visible to the naked eye—responds to high pressure resulting from squeezing a sample between two diamonds. The team finds that the behavior of curium's outer electrons—which
Beijing, 10 July 2020: the journal Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications (CVIA) has just published a new issue, Volume 4 Issue 4. This issue brings together important research papers from leading cardiologists in US, China, and Africa, including very important new research on identification of Novel TTN Mutations and discovery of digenic mutation.
Curcumin, a natural compound found in the spice turmeric, could help eliminate certain viruses, research has found. A study published in the Journal of General Virology showed that curcumin can prevent Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) – an alpha-group coronavirus that infects pigs – from infecting cells. At higher doses, the compound was also found to kill virus particles.
Everyone who uses a smartphone unavoidably generates masses of digital data that are accessible to others, and these data provide clues to the user's personality. Psychologists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich (LMU) are studying how revealing these clues are.
iPadOS 14 is in public beta right now. (Apple/) Until recently, you would have had to pay $100 to join the Apple Developer Program in order to get the new iOS 14 beta. I did it a couple weeks ago and have been trying out some of the new features ever since. Now, however, the public beta has hit the internet, which means anyone with a compatible iPhone can jump into the possibly buggy world of iOS
Scientists have used neutron scattering and supercomputing to better understand how an organic solvent and water work together to break down plant biomass, creating a pathway to significantly improve the production of renewable biofuels and bioproducts.
On Wednesday, U.S. hospitals began sending daily Covid-19 data reports to a new database in Washington — a process that bypasses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that has prompted backlash from some public health experts, hospital leaders, journalists, and others who work with the data.
Researchers of the MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group at the Department of Ethology at the Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (ELTE) compared human-oriented communicative behaviors of young miniature pigs and dogs kept as companion animals. They found that in a neutral situation pigs turn to humans, initiating interactions as much as dogs do. But
Biodiversity is severely threatened both in Switzerland and worldwide, and numerous organisms are facing massive declines—particularly in freshwater ecosystems. All the species living in rivers—including fish, bacteria and many different aquatic invertebrates, such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies—are crucial for the functioning of these ecosystems. But many species are under threat due to
At the end of the year, a fleet of pirate-hunting satellites will take to the sky. A satellite intelligence company called HawkEye 360 says it's booked a ticket on a SpaceX rideshare mission to launch a cluster of three satellites that will sail around the globe, tracking down pirates, poachers, and smugglers. HawkEye, unlike the superhero of the same name , doesn't actually dole out justice. But
Researchers of the MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group at the Department of Ethology at the Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (ELTE) compared human-oriented communicative behaviors of young miniature pigs and dogs kept as companion animals. They found that in a neutral situation pigs turn to humans, initiating interactions as much as dogs do. But
In a paper published in Nano, a group of researchers from Jiangsu University of Technology, China have developed novel Cu2O-Mn3O4-NiO ternary nanocomposites by electrostatic spinning technology, which improved the performance of supercapacitor electrode materials.
In a report published in Nano, a team of researchers from Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, China have developed N-doped carbon encapsulated transition metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) to optimize performance of zinc-air batteries.
Biodiversity is severely threatened both in Switzerland and worldwide, and numerous organisms are facing massive declines—particularly in freshwater ecosystems. All the species living in rivers—including fish, bacteria and many different aquatic invertebrates, such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies—are crucial for the functioning of these ecosystems. But many species are under threat due to
Extensive wildlife trade not only threatens species worldwide but can also lead to the transmission of zoonotic diseases. An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research shed new light on the motivations why people hunt, trade or consume different species. The research shows that more different
Over 50 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's disease and it is one of the greatest medical and social challenges of our time. Due to pathological changes in the brain, patients become increasingly forgetful and disoriented as the disease progresses. Alzheimer's is still considered incurable today. Researchers at the University of Göttingen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Ther
An international research team, involving Newcastle University experts, developed visible light communication (VLC) setup capable of a data rate of 2.2?Mb/s by employing a new type of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).
Natural graphite, used as the precursor for graphene oxide production, is a highly ordered crystalline inorganic material, which is believed to be formed by decay of organic matter. It is extremely thermodynamically stable and resistant to be converted to the organic-like metastable graphite oxide
In low precipitation periods – where and how is the limited available water distributed and what possibilities are there for improving retention in the soil and the landscape? Doerthe Tetzlaff and her team from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries discovered that vegetation has a major influence on this. Using the example of the drought-sensitive Demnitzer Muehlenfliess
The e-prop learning method developed at Graz University of Technology forms the basis for drastically more energy-efficient hardware implementations of Artificial Intelligence.
Scientists have used neutron scattering and supercomputing to better understand how an organic solvent and water work together to break down plant biomass, creating a pathway to significantly improve the production of renewable biofuels and bioproducts.
The novel system developed by computer scientists and materials engineers combines an artificial brain system with human-like electronic skin, and vision sensors, to make robots smarter.
The nascent economic recovery that had started to sprout across the nation as businesses reopened following COVID-19-mandated closures, has been thrown a major curveball as new cases of the virus have surged. According to an analysis released today by the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development, jobs, income, public revenue, and other indicators are likely t
The shape of volcanoes and their craters provide critical information on their formation and eruptive history. Techniques applied to photographs—photogrammetry—show promise and utility in correlating shape change to volcanic background and eruption activity.
A team led by Prof. Du Jiangfeng, Prof. Shi Fazhan, and Prof. Wang Ya from University of Science and Technology of China, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, proposed a robust electrometric method utilizing a continuous dynamic decoupling technique, where the continuous driving fields provide a magnetic-field-resistant dressed frame. The study was published in Physical Review Letters on June 19.
Two-dimensional (2-D) organic-inorganic halide perovskites are emerging materials for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications due to their unique physical properties and a high degree of tunability. Despite impressive advances, challenges remain, including unsatisfactory performance and a vague understanding of their structure-property relationships. Addressing these challenges requires more
Making air conditioners and fridges more energy efficient and using more climate-friendly refrigerants can significantly slow global warming, according to a U.N.-backed report released Friday.
An international collaboration has shown for the first time that human-caused stresses of global warming and pollution affect coral reef fish development and survival via the disruption of an endocrine pathway.
An international collaboration has shown for the first time that human-caused stresses of global warming and pollution affect coral reef fish development and survival via the disruption of an endocrine pathway.
Scientists have found the interstellar organic matter could produce an abundant supply of water by heating, suggesting that organic matter could be the source of terrestrial water.
A short segment of an infectious protein known as a prion protein plays a crucial role in determining how susceptible the protein is to interspecies prion transmission, RIKEN researchers have discovered in a yeast study. This finding has important implications for neurodegenerative diseases in humans.
The annual upriver migration of Pacific wild salmon—integral to B.C.'s coastal ecosystem—is an important sustenance source for numerous animal species and a vital economic and cultural lifeline for Indigenous and other communities.
"Water plants are a nuisance in streams, blocking the flow. You should remove them." This notion has for many years determined how streams were managed to prevent flooding during high rainfall events. Research by NIOZ scientist Loreta Cornacchia, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, in cooperation with Utrecht University and British and Belgian partners, shows how vegetatio
Extensive wildlife trade not only threatens species worldwide but can also lead to the transmission of zoonotic diseases. It encompasses hundreds of species with significant differences in their conservation status and associated disease risk. However, current strategies to mitigate the wildlife trade often neglect these differences. An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute f
Shooting Star The Department of Defense has quietly awarded a contract for the Sierra Nevada Corporation to turn its Shooting Star cargo spacecraft into a small experimental space station, The Drive reports . The defense contractor has been developing the spacecraft since 2016 as a way to resupply the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program. The craft is 16 f
The efficient calculation of diffraction is of significance for tracing electromagnetic field propagation and predicting the performance of optical systems. Scientists in China present a fast and flexible way to compute scalar and vector diffraction using the Bluestein method. The computation time can be substantially reduced, and the region of interest as well as the sampling numbers can be arbit
The University of Cordoba is collaborating on a new project by the University of Almeria to test APIStrip, a new tool for sampling environmental pollutants by means of bee colonies
USTC researchers proposed a robust electrometric method utilizing continuous dynamic decoupling (CDD) technique, where the continuous driving fields provide a magnetic-field-resistant dressed frame.
Expectations for our mental health during and after the corona lockdown were pessimistic, but thus far the situation has not turned out to be quite as bad as feared. Danes, and in particular Danish women, appear to have reacted with reduced psychological well-being as the infection rate and death toll peaked in the beginning of April. But already three weeks later, the general psychological well-b
Energy-efficient cooling with climate-friendly refrigerants could avoid up to 460 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas equivalent being added to the atmosphere through 2060 – roughly equal to eight years of global emissions at 2018 levels.To meet all needs by 2050, cooling appliances worldwide would almost quadruple in number from 3.6 billion now to 14 billion, contributing greatly to higher world tem
NAEs are bioactive lipid molecules that appear to play roles in energy balance, inflammation, stress responses and addiction. How NAE levels are regulated and their precise contributions to biological processes remain poorly understood.
A short segment of an infectious protein known as a prion protein plays a crucial role in determining how susceptible the protein is to interspecies prion transmission, RIKEN researchers have discovered in a yeast study. This finding has important implications for neurodegenerative diseases in humans.
In western Guinea, near where the Tinguilinta River meets the Atlantic Ocean, a concrete jetty extends about 275 meters into the river's channel. The jetty is equipped with a conveyor belt system, which facilitates the transport of crushed and dried bauxite—the primary ore used in the production of aluminum—from pier-side stockpiles to docked ships for export. Behind the jetty, gaseous and particu
Late spring and early summer in California bring thousands of marine mammals to the state's beaches, as groups of California sea lions, elephant seals and harbor seals give birth along the shore. Visitors to places such as the Carpinteria Harbor Seal Preserve can observe portly cubs lounging in sand, awaiting the return of their mothers from fishing expeditions in the Pacific Ocean.
The innermost suburbs of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are not seeing a change in gentrification according to new research from The University of Queensland. Instead, the highest levels of urban renewal are occurring within a band located five to 15 kilometers from the cities' central business districts (CBDs).
When he was asked this week why Black people are "still dying at the hands of law enforcement" in the U.S., President Donald Trump responded by focusing on white people who had been killed by police.
A restriction on the kind of materials that can host nanoscale magnetic whirlpools known as skyrmions has been lifted by experimentalists at RIKEN. This will significantly expand the range of the materials skyrmions can be created in, making them even more attractive for use in low-power data-storage devices.
NAEs are bioactive lipid molecules that appear to play roles in energy balance, inflammation, stress responses and addiction. How NAE levels are regulated and their precise contributions to biological processes remain poorly understood.
More than one in four primary school pupils and one in six secondary school pupils are spending an hour or less a day home learning during the COVID crisis, a wide-ranging education survey by the University of Sussex has revealed.
The annual upriver migration of Pacific wild salmon—integral to B.C.'s coastal ecosystem—is an important sustenance source for numerous animal species and a vital economic and cultural lifeline for Indigenous and other communities.
"Water plants are a nuisance in streams, blocking the flow. You should remove them." This notion has for many years determined how streams were managed to prevent flooding during high rainfall events. Research by NIOZ scientist Loreta Cornacchia, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, in cooperation with Utrecht University and British and Belgian partners, shows how vegetatio
Extensive wildlife trade not only threatens species worldwide but can also lead to the transmission of zoonotic diseases. It encompasses hundreds of species with significant differences in their conservation status and associated disease risk. However, current strategies to mitigate the wildlife trade often neglect these differences. An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute f
ESA's Solar Orbiter spacecraft has sent back its first images of the sun. At 77 million kilometres from the surface, this is the closest a camera has ever flown to our nearest star. The pictures reveal features on the sun's exterior that have never been seen in detail before.
Help your plants grow even from a distance. (Brina Blum via Unsplash/) How are you supposed to go on vacation when you have a garden or houseplants to support? Watering stakes are your solution. Made from terracotta, plastic, or glass, these devices will slowly water plants over time. They're also great for forgetful gardeners who are afraid of under-watering plants, and for thirstier plants that
New research has uncovered how an ancient human population adapted effectively to climate change, offering insights that are useful for the environmental challenges of today. The recent study examines the fishing patterns of prehistoric hunter-gatherers in Patagonia, a region at the southern tip of South America. Archaeologists used fish remains to piece together thousands of years of history in t
When it comes to footwear , there are lots of options that will keep your feet safe. Unfortunately, most of those options are severely lacking in the style department. Of course, style shouldn't be a concern when you're working on a job site where your feet are at risk. But once the workday is done, no one wants to hit the town in a clunky, sweaty pair of steel toe boots. But that's life. You hav
Synchrotron InfraRed Nanospectroscopy has been used for the first time to measure biomolecular changes induced by a drug (amiodarone) within human cells (macrophages) and localized at 100 nanometre scale, i.e. two orders of magnitude smaller than the IR wavelength used as probe. This was achieved at the Multimode InfraRed Imaging and Micro Spectroscopy (MIRIAM) beamline (B22) at Diamond Light Sour
Data from the United Nations has shown that inequality in human development between countries has been decreasing at a global level for years. However, new research shows that major differences between regions of individual countries have continued to exist. Together with colleague Iñaki Permanyer, Professor Jeroen Smits has developed a new tool for making a more accurate analysis of wealth differ
New research has uncovered how an ancient human population adapted effectively to climate change, offering insights that are useful for the environmental challenges of today. The recent study examines the fishing patterns of prehistoric hunter-gatherers in Patagonia, a region at the southern tip of South America. Archaeologists used fish remains to piece together thousands of years of history in t
In recent years, far-right political parties in Europe have capitalised on crises to build their support bases. Many have made it to positions of power as a result of these efforts. The financial crisis of 2008, the refugee crisis that began in 2014 and the ongoing debate around climate change have all provided opportunities to harness growing uncertainty and resentment for political purposes.
They say it's better to have had something special and lost it than to have never had it at all. Who would have thought that sentiment holds true for metal oxide catalysts? According to scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Caltech, copper that was once bound with oxygen is better at converting carbon dioxide into renewable fuels than copper that was never bound to
A new robotic prosthetic leg prototype offers a more natural gait while also being quieter and more energy efficient than other designs, researchers report. The key is the use of new small and powerful motors, originally designed for a robotic arm on the International Space Station. The streamlined design offers a free-swinging knee and regenerative braking, which charges the battery with energy
Better organization for your reads. (Radu Marcusu via Unsplash/) Many bookworms know their collection isn't complete without a set of bookends to keep things in place. But bookends' utility doesn't end there. They're a necessity for collectors of all kinds—DVDs, albums, CDs, magazines, cookbooks—making them a great purchase for any room. Here are some of our favorites, in a range of styles and we
The journal Poultry Science has retracted two papers for authorship issues. The first author on both articles was Sajid Umar, of the Arid Agriculture University, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, who now has lost at least four papers for similar reasons. One article, from 2016, was titled "Synergistic effects of thymoquinone and curcumin on immune response and … Continue reading
Researchers have become the first ever to test a tracing method on the cremated remains of a large number of ancient humans. The method makes it possible to glean information from the ashes of thousands of buried urns, information that will reveal a bit about who these prehistoric humans were and where they came from. The tracing method has great potential to fill in large gaps in human history.
You'll be set for days. (Mor THIAM via Unsplash/) Jigsaw puzzles have become increasingly popular as meditative, mindful activities—much like filling in coloring books or baking bread. If your current collection feels too easy, and you're up for a challenge—or if you're looking for a puzzle you can leave out on your coffee table to enjoy over time—look no further than these picks. A vivid teal an
Most Australians are familiar with the cute, nectar-loving sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), a marsupial denizen of forests in eastern and northern Australia.
"There is a clear difference between being a taskmaster and a bully. There just is. Jan was definitely both." – Robin Ricke, former postdoc in van Deursen's Mayo Clinic lab
We are highly sensitive to people around us. As infants, we observe our parents and teachers, and from them we learn how to walk, talk, read—and use smartphones. There seems to be no limit to the complexity of behavior we can acquire from observational learning. But social influence goes deeper than that. We don't just copy the behavior of people around us. We also copy their minds. As we grow ol
Most Australians are familiar with the cute, nectar-loving sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), a marsupial denizen of forests in eastern and northern Australia.
Airplanes are behemoths of the sky; a commercial airliner is over 6,000 times as heavy as a large Canadian goose. At 500 mph, however, these behemoths are not impervious to impact, even from the seemingly innocuous goose. Such damage can result in a range of issues, from fluctuations in air pressure and altitude.
Here, we show a remarkable PL enhancement by 12 folds using pressure to modulate the structure of a recently developed 2D perovskite (HA)2(GA)Pb2I7 (HA = n?hexylammonium, GA = guanidinium). This structure features an extremely large cage previously unattainable, affording us a rare opportunity to understand the structure?property relationship and explore emergent phenomena in halide perovskites.
Scientists have found the interstellar organic matter could produce an abundant supply of water by heating, suggesting that organic matter could be the source of terrestrial water.
Which patients are more likely to develop a severe form of Covid-19? This is a key question that needs to be answered to improve the individual management and prognosis of patients. In a study published in Science on July 13, teams from AP-HP, Inserm, Université of Paris, Institut Pasteur and Institut Imagine describe a unique and unexpected immunological phenotype in severe and critical patients.
'Water plants are a nuisance in streams, blocking the flow. You should remove them'. This notion has for many years determined how streams were managed to prevent flooding during high rainfall events. Research by NIOZ scientist Loreta Cornacchia, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, in cooperation with Utrecht University and British and Belgian partners, shows how vegetatio
Dr. Jeffrey L. Cummings, UNLV research professor and a leading expert on Alzheimer's disease clinical trials, led a five-year review of all Alzheimer's drugs in the development pipeline. Currently, there are 121 unique therapies in 136 clinical trials in the pipeline.The paper, "Alzheimer's disease drug development pipeline: 2020," was published this week in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Tra
Research by Charles Darwin University has changed what was known about the charismatic nectar-loving sugar glider, finding that they are at more risk than ever, particularly after the recent bushfires devastating south-eastern Australia.
Publishing their findings in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, scientists from the University of Surrey and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México have developed a new computational technique, ReProMin, to identify processes which express non-essential genes in bacterial cells. Identification of these non-essential genes will allow scientists to remove them, saving energy within the cell. This
The Grattan Institute's call to "abandon" plans for any high-speed rail network in Australia fails to look at the wider benefits such a project can bring by way of more productive economies and more sustainable towns and cities.
Australia wants to build a 2.7-kilometer concrete runway in Antarctica, the world's biggest natural reserve. The plan, if approved, would have the largest footprint of any project in the continent's history.
Led by physicians, scientists and epidemiologists, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the most reliable sources of knowledge during disease outbreaks. But now, with the world in desperate need of authoritative information, one of the foremost agencies for fighting infectious disease has gone conspicuously silent.
Three Georgia regions experienced double-digit declines in sales tax distributions in the June quarter during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an online interactive data tool created by Georgia State University's Fiscal Research Center (FRC).
Tiny, needle-like fibers that can become airborne if bedrock is disturbed during earthworks has the potential to cause asbestos-type disease and should be investigated, scientists say.
In February of 2017, the scientific community rejoiced as NASA announced that a nearby star (TRAPPIST-1) had a system of no less than seven rocky planets. Since that time, astronomers have conducted all kinds of follow-up observations and studies in the hopes of learning more about these exoplanets. In particular, they have been attempting to learn if any of the planets located in the stars' habit
Research by Charles Darwin University has changed what was known about the charismatic nectar-loving sugar glider, finding that they are at more risk than ever, particularly after the recent bushfires devastating south-eastern Australia.
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting many aspects of our lives, and politics is no exception, especially in a presidential election year. Most in-person campaigning has stalled. Politicians are judged on their responses to the pandemic. Even mask-wearing has become politicized.
A new single-phase catalyst that enables the conversion of renewable and waste carbon into sustainable diesel fuels has been developed through a unique collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and two U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) consortia, Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy (ChemCatBio) and the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative.
Researchers from the University of Alicante (Spain) and the Universidad Nacional del Sur (Argentina) have designed and validated a low-cost 3-D printed device that, connected to a smartphone, makes it possible to conduct chemical analyses. This technology presents a simple solution for on-site testing, in developing countries or remote locations, without the need to step into the laboratory or acc
Publishing their findings in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, scientists from the University of Surrey and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México have developed a new computational technique, ReProMin, to identify processes which express non-essential genes in bacterial cells. Identification of these non-essential genes will allow scientists to remove them, saving energy within the cell. This
The turbulence that occurs in the low-pressure region behind a rocket traveling at supersonic speeds is complex and not well understood. In the first experimental study of its kind, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign helped close the knowledge gap for these flows by proving the existence of hairpin vortices in a supersonic separated flow.
Weather forecasts have become less accurate during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the reduction in commercial flights, according to new research. A new study in AGU's journal Geophysical Research Letters finds the world lost 50-75% of its aircraft weather observations between March and May of this year, when many flights were grounded due to the pandemic.
Copper that was once bound with oxygen is better at converting CO2 into renewable fuels than copper that was never bound to oxygen, according to Berkeley Lab and Caltech scientists.
World-first research by Monash University in Australia has been able to detect positive COVID-19 cases using blood samples in about 20 minutes, and identify whether someone has contracted the virus.
A key mystery about the gas comprising most of our atmosphere is closer to being solved following a discovery by University of California, Irvine biologists. Their findings are the first step in understanding the biological mechanism for breaking down nitrogen gas. Besides yielding groundbreaking knowledge, the information holds promise for developing environmentally friendly and cheaper ways to m
A new device that relies on flowing clouds of ultracold atoms promises potential tests of the intersection between the weirdness of the quantum world and the familiarity of the macroscopic world we experience every day. The atomtronic Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) is also potentially useful for ultrasensitive rotation measurements and as a component in quantum computers.
Daydreaming carries significant creative benefits, especially for those who identify with their profession and care about their work, research finds. Daydreaming can be both a liability and a significant asset, depending upon certain attributes of the wanderer, however. It can impair performance if not driven by professional challenges. "Daydreaming can have significant upsides for one's tendency
A new study finds that people with lower working memory capacity were less likely to practice social distancing. The study also found working memory was related to how fairly a subject behaved in an ultimatum game. The findings help explain why some people don't social distance and offer new ways to encourage proper distancing. Social distancing is difficult. Few people would contest that fact. D
In a report published in NANO, a team of researchers from Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, China have developed N-doped carbon encapsulated transition metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) to optimize performance of zinc-air batteries.
In a paper published in NANO, a group of researchers from Jiangsu University of Technology, China have developed novel Cu 2 O-Mn 3 O 4 -NiO ternary nanocomposites by electrostatic spinning technology, which improved the performance of supercapacitors electrode materials.
Nature, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02104-y Waves crashing into Arctic coastlines could grow by as much as three metres if global warming continues unabated.
When a new physical system is created or uncovered, researchers generally study it in depth to unveil its distinctive properties and characteristics. For example, they might try to determine how the system reacts when it is disturbed, and in what ways this disturbance typically propagates through it.
A majority of college students of color show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after watching social media videos of police killing unarmed Black men, research finds. Seeing such killings shared on social media contributes to anxiety and fear of future police encounters, researchers say. The study in the Journal of Black Studies surveyed 134 college students in the United States, between
Global emissions of methane have reached the highest levels on record, research shows. Growth of emissions from coal mining, oil and natural gas production, cattle and sheep ranching, and landfills are primarily driving the increases. Between 2000 and 2017, levels of the potent greenhouse gas barreled up toward pathways that climate models suggest will lead to 3-4 degrees Celsius of warming befor
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) got together earlier this year to launch the aptly named Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The mission recently took up its position near the sun, and the agencies have released the first wave of images from this enviable vantage point. Naturally, the pictures are stunning and unprecedented, but they also show some scientifically relevant "campfires" dotting the s
I often discuss the fact that the world's population is set to approach 10 billion people by 2060 or so. Right now we are approaching 8 billion. This is a potentially serious issue, mainly for food security. We are already using most of the arable land on the planet, and will need to produce more food on the same, or hopefully less, land if we are to sustain these populations without devastating
This week, Recode's Peter Kafka joins us to talk about Netflix's dominance over the entertainment industry and how the streaming landscape continues to change.
Idiacanthus antrostomus The ultra-black Pacific black dragon ( Idiacanthus antrostomus ), the second-blackest fish studied by the research team. (Karen Osborn, Smithsonian/) When we think of deep ocean creatures adapting to the dark, bioluminescent jellyfish or the glowy lures of an anglerfish come to mind. But other deep sea animals have adapted in the other direction, evolving skin that acts al
A team of researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Sydney and Cornel University has found that it is possible to create a soundscape from noises in the natural environment using machine-learning algorithms. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes how such soundscapes can be used by land managers to protect natural environm
A team of researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Sydney and Cornel University has found that it is possible to create a soundscape from noises in the natural environment using machine-learning algorithms. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes how such soundscapes can be used by land managers to protect natural environm
New insights into an elusive process that protects developing sperm cells from damage in growing embryos, sheds light on how genetic information passes down, uninterrupted, through generations.
New insights into an elusive process that protects developing sperm cells from damage in growing embryos, sheds light on how genetic information passes down, uninterrupted, through generations.
Unpleasant odors are, well, unpleasant. Sometimes, we have to endure the stench but legislation is beginning to recognize that people have a right to not be exposed when they are avoidable. This might apply in the context of the environment local to an industrial plant, water and sewage treatment works, refuse sites and other areas, including the workplace, shopping centers, and places of entertai
NASA now is targeting Oct. 31, 2021, for the launch of the agency's James Webb Space Telescope from French Guiana, due to impacts from the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as technical challenges.
At the center of a far-off galaxy, a black hole is slowly consuming a disk of gas that swirls around it like water circling a drain. As a steady trickle of gas is pulled into the gaping maw, ultrahot particles gather close to the black hole, above and below the disk, generating a brilliant X-ray glow that can be seen 300 million light-years away on Earth. These collections of ultrahot gas, called
Dual-ion batteries (DIBs) consisting of a graphite anode and cathode have attracted increasing attention due to their advantages of environmental friendliness, excellent cyclic stability and good safety.
Findings could give medics advance warning for hospital care and respiratory support Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Symptoms of Covid-19 appear to fall into six different groupings, researchers have revealed in work they say could help to predict whether a patient will end up needing a ventilator or other breathing support. The team say the findings could give healt
A team of Chinese scientists, led by Prof. Yu Xuekui from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Prof. Zeng Musheng from Sun Yat-sen University, reported the first complete atomic model of Epstein-Bar virus (EBV) nucleocapsid. This study was published online in Cell Research.
At the posthumous retrial of Joan of Arc in 1455, two decades after she was burned at the stake as a witch and a heretic, she was declared an innocent martyr. During the trial, a personal valet offered evidence of Joan of Arc's piety and purity during her 19 years on Earth: "She never suffered from the secret illness of women." As far as the people closest to her knew, he claimed, she never got h
I n Loveland, Colorado —the nation's self-proclaimed " Sweetheart City ," about an hour's drive north of Denver—a young police officer paused earlier this month as he was arresting a pregnant woman who had outstanding warrants. Should he handcuff her, the officer asked his supervisors, or, under a new Colorado policing law, would that now be considered excessive force? To officers like Rob Pride,
A team of Chinese scientists, led by Prof. Yu Xuekui from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Prof. Zeng Musheng from Sun Yat-sen University, reported the first complete atomic model of Epstein-Bar virus (EBV) nucleocapsid. This study was published online in Cell Research.
The miniaturization of electronic components coupled with their increasing integration density has considerably expanded heat flows, which can lead to overheating. But measuring these nanometric events is difficult because conventional solutions such as infrared thermography do not work below the scale of a micrometer.
An international team of scientists from NUST MISIS, Russian Academy of Science and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf has found that instead of lithium (Li), sodium (Na) "stacked" in a special way can be used for battery production. Sodium batteries would be significantly cheaper and equivalently or even more capacious than existing lithium batteries. The results of the study are published
An artificial intelligence system has outperformed physicians when detecting skin lesions. The results are changing how one school trains dermatologists.
Officials in the three countries believe a state-linked group is trying to steal intellectual property and information about potential vaccine candidates.
Warning as anxiety and lack of routine lead to rise in inquiries at clinics Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The coronavirus crisis is having a significant impact on children's sleep, with anxiety and lack of routine causing serious disruption, experts and charities have warned. The Millpond sleep clinic, in London, says there has been a 30% rise in sleep inquiries fr
PM sets out workplace guidelines and gives local authorities powers to close premises and cancel events Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boris Johnson has unveiled his plan for a "more significant return to normality" by Christmas, as he revealed steps to encourage people back to work in England and sweeping measures that will allow ministers to issue stay-at-home ord
Yeshimabeit Milner was in high school the first time she saw kids she knew getting handcuffed and stuffed into police cars. It was February 29, 2008, and the principal of a nearby school in Miami, with a majority Haitian and African-American population, had put one of his students in a chokehold. The next day several dozen kids staged a peaceful demonstration. It didn't go well. That night, Miami
Haptic navigation, which uses vibrations to guide the wearer, could be used by people with visual impairments, but the first product to hit the market has been sold to the Royal Netherlands Army
The number of deaths in the country is increasing, and more than half the states have enacted mask orders. Brazil surpasses 2 million total cases, and India has hit a million.
Agriculture minister says origins of outbreak unclear after seven farm workers – and 87% of the mink – test positive Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Spain has ordered the culling of nearly 100,000 mink on a farm and an estimated one million mink have already been culled on Dutch fur farms, as coronavirus wreaks havoc in the European fur farming industry. Joaquin Olon
Economic policy ideas embraced by a president typically grow out of an interagency process that includes White House economic advisers and Cabinet secretaries, or committee hearings on the Hill. But one Donald Trump idea apparently came from a celebrity chef whose signature restaurant has a prix fixe menu starting at $158 a person (not including wine, of course). Trump has mentioned at least 10 t
A study that compared drugs used to reverse the effects of relaxants for surgery has been retracted because the majority of the results were already published. The study, "Comparison of sugammadex and pyridostigmine bromide for reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade in short-term pediatric surgery," appeared in the journal Medicine in February 2020. The work found … Continue reading
What does summer sound like this year? I can only speak for myself, and the answer is that summer sounds like a cartoon character singing over a scratched reggaeton CD. " Mequetrefe ," by the Venezuelan experimental musician Arca, has lately been my default get-moving song, though the places I have to get moving to are mostly the couch and the grocery store. The song is a mess of glitchy noise, w
Creating an algorithm to win at poker isn't just fun and games — the same code could be applied to military, business, government, and cybersecurity to aid in strategic decision making. But despite tremendous gains in the algorithmic assault on chance, computers haven't yet cracked the code of human nature.
Minister says Britain and allies confident Russian intelligence was behind cyber-attacks Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK security minister James Brokenshire has said Britain is "more than 95%" sure that Russian state-sponsored hackers targeted UK, US and Canadian organisations involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine. Brokenshire said the National Cyber Se
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17363-6 TFEB is a transcriptional regulator of lysosomal biogenesis, activated upon starvation or lysosomal stress. Here the authors report that TFEB regulates hepatic bile acid synthesis downstream of FGF19 signaling.
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17415-x AXL receptor tyrosine kinase has a role in metastasis but the mechanism is unclear. In this study, the authors show that AXL activation can control focal adhesion dynamics via PEAK1 and that AXL-mediated PEAK1 phosphorylation is required for metastasis of triple negative breast cancer cells in vivo.
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17236-y Bellec et al. present a mathematically founded approximation for gradient descent training of recurrent neural networks without backwards propagation in time. This enables biologically plausible training of spike-based neural network models with working memory and supports on-chip training of neuromorphic hardwa
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17439-3 Propagation-invariant beams have been up to now only available in a few realizations or for specific applications. Here, the authors demonstrate two methods for generating propagation-invariant beams with fully customizable intensity profiles in a comprehensive way inspired by geometrical optics.
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17450-8 Anthropogenic stressors affect many aspects of marine organismal health. Here, the authors expose surgeonfish to temperature and pesticide stressors and show that the stressors, separately and in combination, have adverse effects on thyroid signaling, which disrupts several sensory systems and important predatio
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17458-0 Comparison of spontaneous canine cancers and human cancers may illuminate future therapeutic avenues. Here, genomic analyses of these tumors highlights a convergence on PI3K-Akt oncogenic pathways.
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17427-7 Non-traditional stable isotopes, such as of calcium, have potential to expand our understanding of ancient diets. Here, Martin et al. use stable calcium isotopes recovered from fossil tooth enamel to compare the dietary ecology of hominins and other primates in the Turkana Basin 2-4 million years ago.
Nature Communications, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17354-7 Spin-polarized current manipulation of magnetic skyrmions is energy consuming. Here, the authors achieve an electric-field manipulation of individual skyrmions in a nanostructured ferromagnetic/ferroelectrical heterostructure at room temperature via an inverse magneto-mechanical effect.
Biodiversity and thus the state of river ecosystems can now be predicted by combining environmental DNA with hydrological methods, researchers from the University of Zurich and Eawag have found. Using the river Thur as an example, the approach allows areas requiring conservation to be identified in order to initiate protective measures.
Scientists from the Coordination Chemistry Laboratory and Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems, both of the CNRS, recently developed molecular films that can measure the operating temperature of electronic components on a nanometric scale. These patented temperature-sensitive molecules have the distinctive quality of being extremely stable, even after millions of uses. They were pre
Researchers compared human-oriented communicative behaviours of young miniature pigs and dogs kept as companion animals. They found that in a neutral situation pigs turn to humans, initiating interactions as much as dogs do. But in a problem solving situation the two species behave differently. Natural differences between pigs and dogs prevail despite similar socialization if an exciting challenge
Scientific Reports, Published online: 17 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68808-3 Classification of α-synuclein-induced changes in the AAV α-synuclein rat model of Parkinson's disease using electrophysiological measurements of visual processing
What does it mean to prepare students for college and why is that the goal? Bena Kallick, co-director of the Institute for Habits of Mind and program director for Eduplanet21, argues that a shift has to be made. Schools should instead be helping learners by preparing them for life, not just higher education. Developed by Kallick and Arthur Costa, habits of mind are 16 problem-solving life skills
President Trump gave a foreign investment agency an unusual task: Give loans to domestic companies to help refill the depleted U.S. medical stockpile. House appropriators want an independent review. (Image credit: Evan Vucci/AP)
Med store mængder data fra et kamera og kunstig intelligens har forskere taget et skridt på vejen for at gøre livet lettere for mennesker med høreapparat. Samtidig er de kommet et skridt nærmere løsningen på et velkendt problem for høreapparatbrugere.
Preliminary evidence suggests the coronavirus can pass through the placenta, and pregnancy slightly raises a woman's risk of a severe case of COVID-19. Medical experts urge calm and common sense. (Image credit: Leo Patrizi/Getty Images)
A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Papua New Guinea Friday, rocking residents across the pacific nation, the US Geological Survey reported.
Your questions answered on what type of mask to wear to cut the risk of getting Covid-19 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Yes. Different types of mask offer different levels of protection. Surgical grade N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection against Covid-19 infection, followed by surgical grade masks. However, these masks are costly, in limited supply
Understanding Earth's rotation in space is crucial for GPS navigation and now we have an extremely precise way to measure it with lasers and supermirrors
The UK government's chief scientific adviser has said working from home is still the best option where possible to maintain physical distancing, as he acknowledged that the outcome of Britain's response to the Covid-19 outbreak 'has not been good'. Sir Patrick Vallance 's advice during a two-hour appearance before the science and technology select committee contrasts with Boris Johnson's recovery
Government unveils measures after marathon emergency cabinet session as infections rise Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Israel has reimposed some lockdown measures following a vigorous second surge in the number of coronavirus infections, putting in place stringent weekend shutdowns in which shops, hairdressers and attractions will be closed. The government announced
More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue reading…
The DNA-cutting proteins central to CRISPR-Cas9 and related gene-editing tools originally came from bacteria, but a newfound variety of Cas proteins apparently evolved in viruses that infect bacteria.
The DNA-cutting proteins central to CRISPR-Cas9 and related gene-editing tools originally came from bacteria, but a newfound variety of Cas proteins apparently evolved in viruses that infect bacteria.
Många sägs upp i coronatider. De som blir kvar på arbetsplatsen kan drabbas av något som kallas survivor syndrome eller överlevarsyndrom. Det kan leda till att personal blir mindre effektiva och mindre motiverade att arbeta. De känner skuld mot uppsagda kollegor och är själva rädda för att behöva sluta inom en snar framtid.
Whether they travel only a few metres or tens of kilometres to a new host tree, female pine beetles use different strategies to find success—with major negative consequences for pine trees, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
Whether they travel only a few metres or tens of kilometres to a new host tree, female pine beetles use different strategies to find success—with major negative consequences for pine trees, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
News updates: PM set to make announcement in press conference on Friday PM promises extra £3bn for NHS Ministers urged to rescue Covid-hit early years education providers Oxford vaccine team aim to start lab-controlled human trial soon UK government withdraws Randox test kits over safety issues Global coronavirus updates – live 8.25am BST Brokenshire is asked about Patrick Vallance's opposition t
Comet Neowise was discovered on 27 March by Nasa's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission. Scientists say the comet is about 3 miles across. Its nucleus is covered with sooty material dating back to the origin of our solar system 4.6bn years ago. It is the brightest comet visible from the northern hemisphere in 25 years Continue reading…
Even though all the vaccinologists are flat out like a lizard drinking it's going to take some time. Hang in there everyone Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue reading…
Phase 3 reopenings in Europe and North America, locust swarms in India, sunset soccer in Indonesia, a seawater pool in France, in-stream dining in Kuala Lumpur, flooding on the Yangtze River, Sammy the Seal in England, Godzilla in Yokosuka, Bastille Day fireworks in Paris, and much more
The team, led by Dr. Jeong-Myeong Ha of the Clean Energy Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology(KIST), has developed a technology that can be used to mass-produce aviation-grade fuels from wood wastes. The ability to produce aviation-grade fuel from wood waste is expected to help international aviation companies comply with the new strong emissions regulations, which are
Highest one-day total as Democrats urged to skip convention; restrictions reimposed in Mexico, Spain and Israel Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The US has reported a record 77,300 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government data. The figure is the highest one-day total for the pandemic so f
Fire personer har henvendt sig til sundhedsmyndighederne, efter at de har modtaget en besked om mulig risiko for coronasmitte via den officelle danske app til smitteopsporing. Det viser, at appen »allerede har haft en effekt«, lyder det fra Sundheds- og Ældreministeriet.
As a youngster, many excursions with my grandmother would end with her pointing out the breathtaking combination of hues that graces the sky during golden hour. She would be sure to mention the weather predictions that stem from our folklore: Warm mixtures of pink and lavender, she would tell me, means that tomorrow will be […]
Certain methods of decontaminating medical face masks for repeated use during the COVID-19 pandemic appear to damage the masks' integrity and protective function, according to new research.
A vaccine additive known as an adjuvant can enhance responses to a vaccine containing the exotic avian flu virus H5N1, so that both rookie and veteran elements of the immune response are strengthened, according to a new study.
Scientists have studied sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) from sediment deposits in the southern North Sea, an area which has not previously been linked to a tsunami that occurred 8150 years ago.
The T cells, along with antibodies, are an integral part of the human immune response against viral infections due to their ability to directly target and kill infected cells. A Singapore study has uncovered the presence of virus-specific T cell immunity in people who recovered from COVID-19 and SARS, as well as some healthy study subjects who had never been infected by either virus.
New modeling shows how social distancing could have better been implemented. The key? Longer periods of distancing would have helped — but only to a point. More needed to be done.
Researchers have discovered new information about how a dangerous parasite takes control of a patient's cells as it spreads throughout their body, an important finding that could help in the development of new drugs to treat this infection.
Cas proteins like CRISPR-Cas9 have great potential for gene therapy to treat human disease and for altering crop genes, but the gene-targeting and gene-cutting Cas proteins are often large and hard to ferry into cells with viral vectors such as adenovirus. Scientists have now discovered a hypercompact Cas protein, Cas-phi, that should work better. It is half the size of Cas9 and apparently evolved
New research looks at how caregivers address the issues of firearm safety when taking care of someone who has Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and has access to a gun.
Screening entire populations for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations could prevent millions more breast and ovarian cancer cases across the world compared to current clinical practice, according to an international study led by Queen Mary University of London. The research also shows that it is cost effective in high and upper-middle income countries.
Individuals aren't very good at judging whether someone coughing or sneezing has an infectious condition or is simply reacting to something benign. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Individuals aren't very good at judging whether someone coughing or sneezing has an infectious condition or is simply reacting to something benign. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has cast a bright light on the importance of science and evidence (1). Epidemiologists have provided public health advice informed by experience with epidemics and are sharing best practices for halting the spread of the virus. Biomedical scientists are researching how the virus works,…
Environmental limits of animal life are invariably revised when the animals themselves are investigated in their natural habitats. Here we report results of a scientific mountaineering expedition to survey the high-altitude rodent fauna of Volcán Llullaillaco in the Puna de Atacama of northern Chile, an effort motivated by video documentation…
Once described as mere "bags of enzymes," bacterial cells are in fact highly organized, with many macromolecules exhibiting nonuniform localization patterns. Yet the physical and biochemical mechanisms that govern this spatial heterogeneity remain largely unknown. Here, we identify liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) as a mechanism for organizing clusters of RNA…
Genome-wide association studies have identified noncoding variants near TBX3 that are associated with PR interval and QRS duration, suggesting that subtle changes in TBX3 expression affect atrioventricular conduction system function. To explore whether and to what extent the atrioventricular conduction system is affected by Tbx3 dose reduction, we first characterized…
In mammals, repressive histone modifications such as trimethylation of histone H3 Lys9 (H3K9me3), frequently coexist with DNA methylation, producing a more stable and silenced chromatin state. However, it remains elusive how these epigenetic modifications crosstalk. Here, through structural and biochemical characterizations, we identified the replication foci targeting sequence (RFTS) domain…
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive incurable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is caused by expansion of a cytosine–adenine–guanine triplet in the N-terminal domain of exon 1 in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that codes for an expanded polyglutamine stretch in the protein product which becomes aggregation…
Under physiological conditions, most Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) molecules bind ATP before binding the Ca2+ transported. SERCA has a high affinity for ATP even in the absence of Ca2+, and ATP accelerates Ca2+ binding at pH values lower than 7, where SERCA is in the E2 state with low-affinity Ca2+-binding sites. Here…
Metabolic modeling and machine learning are key components in the emerging next generation of systems and synthetic biology tools, targeting the genotype–phenotype–environment relationship. Rather than being used in isolation, it is becoming clear that their value is maximized when they are combined. However, the potential of integrating these two frameworks…
We combine analytical understanding of resonant dynamics in two-planet systems with machine-learning techniques to train a model capable of robustly classifying stability in compact multiplanet systems over long timescales of 109 orbits. Our Stability of Planetary Orbital Configurations Klassifier (SPOCK) predicts stability using physically motivated summary statistics measured in integrations…
Large-scale continuous crop monitoring systems (CMS) are key to detect and manage agricultural production anomalies. Current CMS exploit meteorological and crop growth models, and satellite imagery, but have underutilized legacy sources of information such as operational crop expert surveys with long and uninterrupted records. We argue that crop expert assessments,…
As the most abundant microbes on Earth, novel bacteriophages (phages; bacteria-specific viruses) are readily isolated from environmental samples. However, it remains challenging to characterize phage–bacteria interactions, such as the host receptor(s) phages bind to initiate infection. Here, we tested whether transposon insertion sequencing (INSeq) could be used to identify bacterial…
Synthetic DNA is rapidly emerging as a durable, high-density information storage platform. A major challenge for DNA-based information encoding strategies is the high rate of errors that arise during DNA synthesis and sequencing. Here, we describe the HEDGES (Hash Encoded, Decoded by Greedy Exhaustive Search) error-correcting code that repairs all…
Dominant individuals are often most influential in their social groups, affecting movement, opinion, and performance across species and contexts. Yet, behavioral traits like aggression, intimidation, and coercion, which are associated with and in many cases define dominance, can be socially aversive. The traits that make dominant individuals influential in one…
The outer membrane (OM) of gram-negative bacteria confers innate resistance to toxins and antibiotics. Integral β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) function to establish and maintain the selective permeability of the OM. OMPs are assembled into the OM by the β-barrel assembly machine (BAM), which is composed of one OMP—BamA—and four…
Earth's ancient grasslands and savannas—hereafter old-growth grasslands—have long been viewed by scientists and environmental policymakers as early successional plant communities of low conservation value. Challenging this view, emerging research suggests that old-growth grasslands support substantial biodiversity and are slow to recover if destroyed by human land uses (e.g., tillage agriculture,.
Bionic electronic skin (E-skin) that could convert external physical or mechanical stimuli into output signals has a wide range of applications including wearable devices, artificial prostheses, software robots, etc. Here, we present a chameleon-inspired multifunctional E-skin based on hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), Poly(Acrylamide-co-Acrylic acid) (PACA), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composited li
PLUS. Selvom 3 endnu ikke har meldt ud, hvem de vælger som 5G-leverandør, så tester de allerede nu næste generations mobilnetværk, blandt andet i Roskilde og på Amager. Planen er at åbne de første 5G-netværk i slutningen af 2020 på 700 og 1.800 MHz-frekvensbåndet.
Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox . SPENCER PLATT / GETTY This spring, the U.S. effectively paused its economy in order to buy its medical system some time in the fight against the coronavirus. But the country squandered the moment
The "journey mindset" could prove to be a useful tool for coping with stress and tragedy during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research. Thinking in terms of a journey rather than a destination can help virus survivors and health care providers cope with post-traumatic stress, the researchers say. Such a mindset can also increase the likelihood that people who learn measures for protecti
The largest study on opium use and outcomes after bypass surgery has found that – in contrast to widely held beliefs – it is linked with more deaths and heart attacks. The research is published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that in 2015, 17.7 million people used o
The launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has been delayed from March 2021 to October 2021, partially due to measures to limit the spread of covid-19
Speed of contact tracing strategies is essential to slowing COVID-19 transmission, according to a mathematical modelling study in The Lancet Public Health journal which models the effectiveness of conventional and app-based strategies on community transmission of the virus.
Fewer people are being exposed to herpes simplex type 1 – also known as oral herpes – in their childhood and the prevalence amongst the population in Europe is falling by 1% per year, suggests research published in the journal BMJ Global Health.
The range of commercial foods on sale for babies has grown rapidly in recent years but their sugar levels are still too high, suggests research published in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Scientists have found a switch which is associated with prostate cancers spreading or forming metastases (secondary tumours). The researchers caution that this work is still at an early stage, and needs further investigation to see if it applies to all prostate cancers. Up to 15% of patients have high risk prostate cancers, potentially leading to significantly increased mortality over time. The wo
A study has shown that the amount of porn a man watches is linked to worse erectile function. Watching porn is also associated with greater dissatisfaction with "normal" sex, with only 65% of respondents rating sex with a partner to be more stimulating than porn. This work is presented at the EAU virtual Congress.
New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]) reveals that too much or too little sleep in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is linked to sharply increased death rates, with the effect much larger than that found in the non-diabetic population.
It has long been claimed that sex is the guiding force behind major technological developments or at least a major catalyst for taking new technologies mainstream. And with innovations such as home video, home computers, and the Internet, there's a case to be made for this argument. Now, if a company called KIIROO has its way, realistic, affordable VR sex will soon catapult virtual reality onto t
Nature, Published online: 16 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02150-6 Record-breaking Arctic heat was made 600 times more likely by human-induced climate change. Plus, the closest photo of the Sun ever taken and what it's like to lead the development of a front-running COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
The study passes on figuring out what we think, focusing instead on the frequency of thought. Consistent neurological signals identify the transitions between thoughts. fMRI scans tracked participants' thoughts while they watched movies and when they were at rest. A new study from psychologists at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario reports observations of the transition from one thought to a
It is common to see clinic patients whose eGFR by creatinine and cystatin are different by >15 mL/min. Potok et al surmised that these differences, usually overlooked in favor of a combined eGFR, carry important information. The authors examined the intra-individual difference in eGFR by cystatin vs. creatinine (eGFRDiff) and found that eGFRDiff may hold prognostic information as a negative eGFRDi
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately 37 million U.S. adults and less than 25% are aware of their disease. CKD is readily identified with simple blood and urine tests that are often in a patient's health record yet providers usually do not diagnose the CKD and inform the patient. This study demonstrates that implementation of a decision support system within the electronic health reco
Physical distancing measures, such as closing schools, workplaces, and public transport, and restricting mass gatherings, are associated with a meaningful reduction in new covid-19 cases, according to a new study.
In this illustration, NASA's Mars 2020 rover uses its drill to core a rock sample on Mars. ( NASA/JPL-Caltech/) Over the next month, a flotilla of spacecraft will blast off into space with a one-way ticket to one of the solar system's most mysterious objects: Mars. They are tasked with helping answer a question that has puzzled scientists for decades—is there, or was there ever, life on the red p
Scientists have come up with a novel material for cleaning up oil spills on land. Mats of human hair and dog fur successfully absorb oil from hard surfaces — but not so well from sand.
On this episode of the podcast Social Distance , the staff writer James Hamblin and the executive producer Katherine Wells discuss the perils of air travel and the best ways to prepare for it. Listen here: Subscribe to Social Distance on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or another podcast platform to receive new episodes as soon as they're published. What follows is an edited and condensed transcript o
We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly. — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 15, 2020
Support for your future. (Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash/) Are all those days spent slumped over your computer starting to wear out your back? Posture correctors are a great option for quick relief, gently encouraging proper alignment and reducing pain caused by slouching. They fit seamlessly under clothes and get to work readjusting your back and shoulders while you go about your regular routine. We
Qi charging for wireless power ease. (Amazon/) You're a busy person with places to go and people to see. Running out of charge on your phone is the last thing you should have to worry about. Nowadays, a dead phone is not only an inconvenience—it's a sign of unprofessionalism. Missing a call or being slow to respond to an email could cost you, but stress not! That plummeting battery percentage is
Certain methods of decontaminating medical face masks for repeated use during the COVID-19 pandemic appear to damage the masks' integrity and protective function, according to research by a University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental health scientist.
Whether they travel only a few metres or tens of kilometres to a new host tree, female pine beetles use different strategies to find success–with major negative consequences for pine trees, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
New study by researchers from the University of Konstanz, the co-located Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (both in Germany) and the University of Texas at Austin finds that groups led by subordinate males outperform those led by dominant and aggressive males
Sleep better. (Cassidy Kelley via Unsplash/) Even with your air-conditioner blasting, your bedroom may not live up to your breeziest expectations. That's where the natural fiber that is linen comes in: derived from a flax plant and delightfully soft, linen sheets can keep you cool and cozy. Linen advocates will tell you the sheets are durable and stand the test of time. They are often more breath
Take one of these fans for a spin. (Helen Shi via Unsplash/) Air conditioners are expensive and evaporative coolers only work in certain environments. If you're looking to cool down a room and add a pleasant breeze, ceiling fans are tried-and-true tools. They help circulate air through the house quietly and efficiently, making summer days and nights that much more comfortable. What's more, ceilin
Scientists have come up with a novel material for cleaning up oil spills on land. Mats of human hair and dog fur successfully absorb oil from hard surfaces — but not so well from sand.
Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered new information about how a dangerous parasite takes control of a patient's cells as it spreads throughout their body, an important finding that could help in the development of new drugs to treat this infection.
A UAlberta research team has published a study on the discovery of a new sponge that is abundant in the region, making up nearly 20 per cent of the live sponges in the reefs off the coast of British Columbia. The new species–called Desmacella hyalina — was discovered using an underwater robot that travelled along the ocean floor, surveying reefs and collecting samples.
Beavers and wolverines in Northern Alberta are using industry-created borrow pits as homes and feeding grounds, according to a new study by University of Alberta ecologists.
New research will help health-care practitioners to more accurately diagnose disease and illness in newborn babies from urine samples, according to a study by researchers at the University of Alberta and the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas.
An Online First Accepted Manuscript published in ARRS' American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) finds that focusing on lung cancer screening (LCS) subjects less likely to remain in the program — those with negative low-dose CT exams and those who still smoke — can improve that program's cost-effectiveness and maximize its societal benefits. 'Our study demonstrates that a real-world LCS can perfor
Osaka University researchers have used a brain-computer-interface to reduce phantom-limb pain after only three days of training. In a random crossover trial, patients with phantom-limb pain used brain power related to their intact hand to open and close a virtual hand. Reduction in phantom-limb pain after three days of training remained significant five days after training was complete.
Around 20 per cent of the beef and soya the Euopean Union imports from Brazil has been linked to illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna
Ab-solutely! (Amazon/) Maintaining an at-home workout routine can be tricky, especially in a cramped space with plenty of distractions and a laundry list of to-do items. That's where ab workout gear comes in handy. You'll strengthen and tone your core through efficient, straightforward exercises, without ever having to leave the living room. Whether you're looking for advanced abdominal training
Every summer, thousands of people travel to Padre Island National Seashore at dawn to cheer on sea turtle hatchlings as they are released into the surf.
Viruses are scary. They invade our cells like invisible armies, and each type brings its own strategy of attack. While viruses devastate communities of humans and animals, scientists scramble to fight back. Many utilize electron microscopy, a tool that can "see" what individual molecules in the virus are doing. Yet even the most sophisticated technology requires that the sample be frozen and immob
A tough cleaner when you need it. (Amazon/) Pressure washers use high-powered jets of water to blast away dirt and grime, and make quick work of tough cleaning situations like dingy furniture, dirt-caked driveways, and mildewy patios. If your car is a mess, a pressure washer is like having a personal car wash—and it can get into all those crevices for professional-level detailing. A pressure wash
They occur in nature, are reactive and play a role in many biological processes: polyenes. It is no wonder that chemists have for a long time been interested in efficiently constructing these compounds—not least in order to be able to use them for future biomedical applications. However, such designs are currently neither simple nor inexpensive and present organic chemists with major challenges. S
Every summer, thousands of people travel to Padre Island National Seashore at dawn to cheer on sea turtle hatchlings as they are released into the surf.
With a small nudge to a satellite's orbit, scientists will soon have simultaneous laser and radar measurements of ice, providing new insights into Earth's frozen regions. On July 16, the European Space Agency (ESA) begins a series of precise maneuvers that will push the orbit of its radar-carrying CryoSat-2 satellite about half a mile higher—putting it in sync with NASA's laser-carrying Ice, Cloud
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